Social Movements and the Collective Identity of the Star Trek Fandom

Boldly Going Where No Fans Have Gone Before

David G. LoConto

Since it first aired in 1966, Star Trek has led American television into a more progressive era by presenting a diverse cast interacting as equals, demonstrating expertise and efficiency as they lead a starship across the galaxy. To this day, the Star Trek franchise strives to inspire viewers to find beauty in diversity and progress. In Social Movements and the Collective Identity of the Star Trek Fandom: Boldly Going Where No Fans Have Gone Before, David G. LoConto explores the development of the Star Trek fandom from its uncertain beginnings in the 1960s, to the popularity explosion in the 1990s and its triumphant return in 2017. LoConto analyzes the cultural phenomena of Star Trek through a social psychological approach, using symbolic interactionist and strategic ritualization theories, as well as ideas from Habermas and Foucault to track the fandom’s movements, values, and evolution.

Lexington Books

Pages: 252 • Trim: 6 x 9

978-1-7936-0700-3 • Hardback • March 2020 • $105.00 • (£81.00)

978-1-7936-0702-7 • Paperback • March 2022 • $39.99 • (£31.00)

978-1-7936-0701-0 • eBook • March 2020 • $38.00 • (£29.00)

Subjects: Social Science / Popular Culture, Social Science / Social Movements

Social Movements and the Collective Identity of the Star Trek Fandom

Boldly Going Where No Fans Have Gone Before

Hardback

Paperback

eBook

Summary

Since it first aired in 1966, Star Trek has led American television into a more progressive era by presenting a diverse cast interacting as equals, demonstrating expertise and efficiency as they lead a starship across the galaxy. To this day, the Star Trek franchise strives to inspire viewers to find beauty in diversity and progress. In Social Movements and the Collective Identity of the Star Trek Fandom: Boldly Going Where No Fans Have Gone Before, David G. LoConto explores the development of the Star Trek fandom from its uncertain beginnings in the 1960s, to the popularity explosion in the 1990s and its triumphant return in 2017. LoConto analyzes the cultural phenomena of Star Trek through a social psychological approach, using symbolic interactionist and strategic ritualization theories, as well as ideas from Habermas and Foucault to track the fandom’s movements, values, and evolution.

Details

Lexington Books

Pages: 252 • Trim: 6 x 9

978-1-7936-0700-3 • Hardback • March 2020 • $105.00 • (£81.00)

978-1-7936-0702-7 • Paperback • March 2022 • $39.99 • (£31.00)

978-1-7936-0701-0 • eBook • March 2020 • $38.00 • (£29.00)

Subjects: Social Science / Popular Culture, Social Science / Social Movements

Author

David G. LoConto is professor of sociology at New Mexico State University.

Table of Contents

Part I: Foundations

Chapter One: The Importance of Narratives, Science Fiction and Star Trek

Chapter Two: Fandom

Part II: Star Trek Fandom, 1966-2019

Chapter Three: Symbolic Interaction, Resource Mobilization Theory and Fandom, 1966-1969

Chapter Four: Social Movement Societies and Fandom, 1970-1979

Chapter Five: From Social Movement Society to Stability, 1980-1989

Chapter Six: Cultural Diffusion and Changing Identity 1990-2001

Chapter Seven: The Long Road and Multiphrenia, 2001-2016

Chapter Eight: We Deserve a New Series! New Beginnings

Part III: Behavior and Star Trek Fandom

Chapter Nine: Collective Identity and Rituals at Conventions

Chapter Ten: I Cosplay Therefore I Am

Chapter Eleven: Power, Politics and the Fandom

Chapter Twelve: The Impact of Social and Digital Media on the Fandom

Part IV: Conclusions

Chapter Thirteen: The Future of Star Trek and its Fandom

Reviews

As a longtime sociologist and Trekkie, I found a lot to learn from and enjoy in Social Movements and the Collective Identity of the Star Trek Fandom. Star Trek might seem like an incongruous entry into sociological concepts and theories, but nothing could be further from the truth. I have long sought ways to incorporate more science fiction into my courses, and here David G. LoConto has done it: Blumer meets the Borg, Cooley and Klingons, Mr. Spock with Dr. George Herbert Mead. Tracking the show and its fandom through the civil rights era to the social media moment, readers learn about identity, social groups, movements, cultural diffusion, multiphrenia, and more. It’s symbolic interactionism for the twenty-third century.
— Jonathan Wynn, University of Massachusetts Amherst

In this fascinating work, LoConto provides a comprehensive view of the Star Trek fandom from its inception to contemporary manifestations. LoConto is particularly insightful regarding nuances in the resources, politics, and perspectives of fans across different historical junctures. For fans as well as sociologists, Star Trek provides a remarkably fruitful lens through which to examine important social changes in the larger society. This book pulls together an impressive amount of history with original research of LoConto’s, notably the collection and analysis of fanzines, recollections of his time spent within the fandom, and thoughtful in-depth interviews with fans.
— Dana Fennell, University of Southern Mississippi